Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Shoji Ohta

Hiroshi Nakayama

Tomokazu Takeda

Masatoshi Chosa

Mitsuo Kitada

Toshiyuki Yumoto

Fujiya Maruno

Toshiyuki Yomoto

Shyuji Ichijoh

A variable-stroke crank mechanism has a crankshaft rotatably supported in a casing for relative rotation about an axis with a crankpin displaced out of alignment with the axis. An eccentric collar is rotatably mounted on the crankpin for revolving around the axis in response to the relative rotation of the crankshaft with respect to the casing to reciprocally move an actuator relative to the casing. A stroke adjusting mechanism for adjusting angular displacement of the eccentric collar on the crankpin comprises an internal ring gear integral with the eccentric collar concentrically with the crankpin, a planetary pinion rotatably mounted on the crankshaft and meshing with the internal ring gear, a sun gear meshing with the planetary pinion, and a stroke adjusting shaft rotatably disposed axially in a portion of the crankshaft and coupled to the sun gear, whereby the stroke adjusting shaft is adjustable in angular displacement to adjust a stroke of reciprocating movement of the actuator.

Variable-stroke crank mechanism

An engine is disposed in a front portion of an automobile and has a crankshaft extending in a longitudinal direction of the automobile. A transmission is coupled to a rear end of the engine and a final speed reduction gear unit is disposed laterally of the engine and separate from the transmission. The output shaft of the transmission and the input shaft of the final speed reduction gear unit are interconnected by an intermediate transmission shaft. A steering mechanism for turning front wheels of the automobile includes a steering tie rod coupled to the front wheels and disposed downwardly of the intermediate shaft between the transmission and the final speed reducer gear unit. The engine includes a cylinder having an axis inclined from the vertical in a transverse direction of the automobile, the final speed reduction gear unit being disposed on the side of the engine away from which the axis of the cylinder is inclined. The transmission includes an input shaft disposed coaxially with the crankshaft for receiving drive forces from the engine, a countershaft, an output shaft, a transmission mechanism operatively coupled to and disposed between the input shaft and the countershaft, and an output gear train operatively connecting the countershaft and the output shaft and disposed in a portion of the transmission closer to the final speed reduction gear unit.

Drive system for automobile

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Shoji Ohta